An Easy DIY Way to Feed Seedlings, Starts, and Transplants Right now in my greenhouse, I have seeds sprouting, tomatoes waiting to be planted, and volunteer perennials I recently dug up and potted to give away to friends. I also have a few new plantings added to the garden beds. They all can benefit from… Continue reading →

Tend to yourself while gardening Once Spring rolls around, the serious gardener starts working overtime. There always seems to be something to do—seeds to start, soil to work, perennials to clean up, and weeds and more weeds to pull. Since our home is at the top of a hill and has few large trees, the… Continue reading →

Tips for Providing Birds with Nesting Sites and Materials The coming of spring heralds the time when birds are “twitter-flittering” and building their nests in preparation for their eggs. We’ve been welcoming birds into our garden since we bought our home in 1993, and encourage them to call our garden home as well. We do that… Continue reading →

Create a Master Plan! There’s nothing like going to a major garden show in the middle of February to get me thinking about what I want to do in my own garden. When we bought our house in 1993, we created a simple master plan for our grass-only, extra-large lot. At the time, we decided… Continue reading →

Nature’s Valentines Are All Around You I’ve always loved beach combing or staring at the ground while hiking to see what treasures may be underfoot. My rewards have been varied—from a delicate shell to an ancient flint tool. But my favorite things to spot are heart-shaped stones. I found my first on my property in Texas. The… Continue reading →

Sharing Our Ideas in a Common Thread Since I’ve started blogging and tweeting, I’ve found a community of people of like mind. One of my favorite finds is Reduce Footprints, a site. that encourages everyone to change the world, by making changes in their own lives one step at a time. One of the things I… Continue reading →

Keeping the Cold Air out and the Warm Air in Our house does not have a mailbox. Instead, we have a mail slot in the front door—the old fashioned kind made of metal, with a spring-loaded door. The slot is large enough to accommodate magazines and thick, 11 x 14” envelopes so most of my… Continue reading →

The Perfect Way to Steep Your Tea! As we inch our way towards the Winter Solstice, the days get darker and colder. Because I work at home, I can’t turn my heat down too low during the day, but I do keep it at 66º—hence I get chilly, especially when doing sedentary tasks. A hot drink… Continue reading →